Armed Robbery of Bank in Kelliher Monday

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call on December 10, 2012, at 2:27 PM from the First State Bank of Big Fork located on Main St in Kelliher MN.  Kelliher is located on Hwy 72 approximately 55 miles north of Bemidji in Beltrami County. 

 

A subject had entered the bank, dressed in a white hooded cloth or Tyvek type coveralls, with black tennis shoes and black gloves, along with a white plastic Halloween type ghost mask and carrying a large black bag.  The suspect brandished a shotgun with a silver type barrel at the bank employee and left on foot headed east from the bank.  An undetermined amount of money was taken.

 

No vehicle was seen in the area however information has been developed that a smaller passenger car, unknown color, with a 52-58" wheel base and 7 1/2-8" tires may have possibly been involved.

 

At this time, we have no absolute direction of travel.  We are asking that any citizens who are aware of someone who may match the clothing description or who appears to have come into a significant amount of cash with no apparent source,

 

Assisting the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office were BCA, FBI, Paul Bunyan Task Force, Koochiching County Sheriffs Office, Lake of the Woods County Sheriffs Office, Blackduck Police Department, Red Lake Tribal Police Department, Clearwater County Sheriff's Office, Itasca County Sheriff's Office, Bemidji Police Department, Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, Roseau County Sheriffs Office, US Border Patrol, US Customs, Kelliher Fire Department and Minnesota State Patrol.  In addition, Code Red was used to inform citizens of the incident.

 

The investigation continues.  Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call 218-333-9111, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.

 

Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office of Investigations Will Host Public Meeting

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office is releasing information pursuant to Minnesota Statute 244.052 to the community regarding a Level 3 Predatory Offender. This offender is not wanted by the police and has served the sentence imposed on him by the court.

 

Gerald Lee Jones, age 29, is being released into rural Ten Lakes Township area (Beltrami County) on December 18, 2012. He has a history of engaging in sexual contact with an adult female victim against her will. Contact included penetration. Offender used force, threats, and physical assault to gain compliance. Offender was known to victim.

 

A Community Notification Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, December 17, 2012, at 5 PM,  at the Ten Lakes Town Hall, 2142 Mission Rd SE,  located east of Bemidji approximately 12 miles on the Power Dam Rd SE and then south on Mission Rd SE – the Town Hall is on the corner of Roosevelt and Mission Rd on Mission Rd SE, on the east side of Mission Rd SE.  Representatives from the Department of Corrections and the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office will be available to provide you with useful information on public safety.

 

Phil Hodapp, Sheriff

 

Beltrami County Sheriff's Office

 

FACT SHEET

 

NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE IN MINNESOTA

 

RISK LEVEL THREE                  In addition to level two notification (schools and daycares as well as establishments and

organizations that primarily serve individuals likely to be victimized  by the offender), law enforcement may notify other members of the community whom the offender is likely to encounter.

 

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office is available to provide you with useful information on personal safety.  The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office may be reached at (218) 333-4180.  To report criminal activity by this offender or any other individual, please call 911.

 

GERALD LEE JONES      

 

DOB:  12/19/1982

 

OID:  212092

 

Race:  American Indian	Hispanic:  No
Height: 5'09"	Eyes:  Brown
Weight: 156 lbs.	Hair:  Black
Complexion: Light brown	Build:  Slender

 

Registration statute(s):  609.342  & 609.255 (both charge only)                        

Investigating agency:  Cass County Sheriff's Office                                                   11/20/2012                                              11/20/2012

 

Release date:  12/18/2012

 

Supervision agent:  Michael Amble  218-308-2562

 

Offense:  Offender engaged in sexual contact and held victim (adult female) against her will. Contact included penetration. Offender used force, threats, and physical assault to gain compliance. Offender was known to victim.

 

Address:  1100 Block of Quill Lane Southeast, rural Cass Lake, MN 56633  (Beltrami County)

 

Date of address change:  12/18/2012

 

 

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office is releasing this information pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 244.052.  This statute authorizes law enforcement agencies to inform the public of a sexual or predatory offender's release from prison or a secure treatment facility when the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office believes that the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

 

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct or another offense that requires registration with law enforcement pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 243.166 or 243.167.

 

This offender is not wanted by the police at this time and has served the sentence imposed on him/her by the court.  This notification is not intended to increase fear in the community.  Law enforcement believes that an informed public is a safer public.

 

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, the supervising release agent, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections may NOT direct where the offender does or does not reside, nor can these agencies direct where he/she works or goes to school.  The risk level of this offender has been determined based largely on his/her potential to re-offend based on his/her previous criminal behavior.

Convicted sexual and predatory offenders have always been released to live in our communities.  It was not until the passage of the Registration Act that law enforcement had an ability track the movement of these offenders after their initial release.  With the passage of the Community Notification Act law enforcement may now share information about many of these offenders with the public.  Abuse of this information to threaten, harass or intimidate a registered offender is unacceptable and such acts could be charged as a crime.  Such abuses could potentially end the ability of law enforcement to provide these notifications.  If community notification ends the only person who wins is the offender.  Many of these offenders derive their power from the opportunity that secrecy provides.

Fire at Birchwood Color Center in Bemidji

Bemidji Fire Department responded to a fire in a multi-business
commercial/residential building Thursday morning in Bemidji. The fire,
which was reported at 10:49 AM by numerous passing motorists, was
located in the 3400 block of Bemidji Ave North. Bemidji Firefighters
arrived on scene to find a large volume of smoke exiting the from the
roof area of the business. Firefighters encountered extensive fire
inside the structure, however were able to confine the fire to the
business of origin. Blackduck and Cass Lake firefighters supplemented
the 30 Bemidji firefighters on scene. Three Fire Engines and a Ladder
Truck along with a large tracked excavator were used on the scene. The
businesses and apartment were unoccupied at the time of the fire. The
fire departments were on scene approximately 8 hours. The fire caused
an estimated $410,000 in damage to the structure and contents. The
cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Bemidji Fire
Department, Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office and Bemidji Police
Department.

DAMAGED TREES POSE RISK THIS WINTER

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management
would like to remind our citizens of the potential risk damaged trees
pose following the destructive straight-line wind storms on July 2nd
and July 4th, 2012. A large number of trees remain standing, but are
damaged, fractured, and weakened as they were battered by wind, rain,
and hail during these storms. In the event of a heavy snow or ice
accumulation and combination of wind, these weakened trees will likely
succumb to the weight of snow and ice and fall to the ground or across
power and utility lines.

Winds well in excess 85 miles per hour on July 2nd carved a path of
extensive tree damage across a large part of southern Beltrami County,
followed by winds in excess of 70 miles per hour across most of the
county on July 4th. As the leaves fell from trees this season and
visibility into our forests improved, it revealed just how extensive
damage to our wooded areas is following these storms.

If you observe an area where damaged trees pose a risk to utility
lines, contact the appropriate utility company and advise them of the
situation so the risk can be mitigated. In the event of a winter storm
causing downed power lines, assume the line is active and report it to
911 immediately. Do not cross downed power lines.

Beltrami County will likely be feeling the effects of these
destructive storms for years to come. Downed timber will continue to
dry out and will be a wildfire concern as it was this fall with the
severe drought conditions. The weakened trees will also be susceptible
to future storms in the coming years.

Victim identified in fatal house fire

On Friday, November 2, 2012, at approximately 2:43 AM the Beltrami
County Sheriff's Office 911 Dispatch Center received a report of a
residential structure fire in the 1000 block of Tyler Ave NW in
Bemidji Township, located just east of Bemidji in Beltrami County.

When Deputies and Bemidji Fire Department personnel arrived on scene
they found the home entirely engulfed in flames. The homeowner,
INGEBURG KATHARINA TANGEN, age 74, of Bemidji, was found deceased
inside the home, a victim of the fire.

Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Investigators and the MN State Fire
marshal are investigating the cause of the fire. An autopsy is
pending with the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey, MN.
Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, Bemidji Fire Department, MN State
Fire Marshal's Office, Bemidji Ambulance Service, Bemidji Police
Department and Beltrami Electric Cooperative assisted at the scene.

Hunter Dies of Heart Attack

At approximately 4:42 PM, on Sunday, November 4, 2012, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office was notified that a hunting party found one of its members having an apparent heart attack in his dear stand near the Three Culverts Road in Taylor Township.  

Beltrami County Deputies arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later to find the victim deceased.  The victim was identified as William Michael Spielmann, age 66, from Maple Lake, MN.  An investigation is underway to determine the cause and manner of death.

Sheriff Phil Hodapp

Beltrami County Hunting Victim Identified

On Saturday, November 3, 2012, at approximately 9:01 AM, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office 911 Dispatch Center received a report of a deer hunter being shot by another hunter in Section 16 of Turtle River Township in rural Bemidji, MN.  The location of the shooting is approximately 9 miles northeast of Bemidji near Concordia Language Village.

A male victim, identified as 64 year old, Donald Zane Bixby was located and found deceased at the scene by Beltrami County Deputies, MN DNR Enforcement Officers and Bemidji Ambulance personnel.

The hunter who fatally shot Bixby has been identified as 48 year old, Phillip Bruce Nyland.  The two individuals were acquaintances of each other, but were not hunting together.  The location of this incident is on public land.  Both individuals are Bemidji area residents.

This incident continues to be under investigation by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.  An autopsy is pending with the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, in Ramsey, MN. The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene of the shooting by the MN DNR, MN State Patrol and Bemidji Ambulance Service.